Was former president’s early release a case of preferential treatment?

The Parole Board’s decision on Sunday to grant an early release to former president Moshe Katsav, despite his lack of a public expression of regret for his acts of rape, has led to criticism that he received preferential treatment.

Association for Rape Crisis Centers in Israel lawyer Liat Klein said that it is rare that convicted rapists who refuse to express regret get an early release. She said that usually expressing regret is considered a baseline for judging that a convict can be rehabilitated and rejoin society.